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Striated muscles are muscles in the body that have a striped appearance due to their light and dark bands. They are responsible for various functions, including balance, posture, and movement, and breathing. The two types of striated muscles are skeletal muscles, which are voluntary muscles attached to bones, and cardiac muscles, which are involuntary muscles found exclusively in the heart. Skeletal muscles can regenerate better than cardiac muscles due to satellite cells. Striated muscles are composed of muscle fibres and connective tissue layers, with each muscle containing thousands of fibres. These muscles contract and relax independently, allowing for movement and essential functions in the body.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Striped, with transverse dark and light bands |
| Types | Skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and arthropods |
| Function | Contraction and relaxation |
| Control | Skeletal muscles are voluntary, cardiac muscles are involuntary |
| Structure | Composed of elongated, multinucleated fibres |
| Contraction | Caused by the twisting of actin and myosin strands |
| Calcium | Releases calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum |
| Regeneration | Skeletal muscles regenerate better than cardiac muscles |
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What You'll Learn
Striated muscle tissue
Skeletal muscle is the most common type of muscle in the body. It is a voluntary muscle, meaning that it is under our conscious control. Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones and are part of the musculoskeletal system. They help the body with balance, posture, and movement. Skeletal muscle fibres are red and white and are wrapped in epimysium, which allows structural integrity during contractions.
Cardiac muscle, on the other hand, is found exclusively in the muscular walls of the heart. These muscles are involuntary in nature. Their main function is to contract the heart walls and pump blood throughout the body. Cardiac muscle cells are about 10-20 µm thick and 50-100 µm long. They contain myofibrils and densely packed mitochondria.
Both skeletal and cardiac muscles are composed of long strands of proteins called actin and myosin, which twist around each other in a helical shape. These proteins create a contraction force, pulling on the fibres within the muscle cell, which then pull on other cells in parallel until they all contract together to form one larger unit. This process is essential for the proper functioning of striated muscles.
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Skeletal muscle
The main function of skeletal muscle tissue is to create force and contract. These contractions enable breathing, movement, and posture maintenance. Skeletal muscles also help the body with balance and controlling body temperature. Skeletal muscle comprises about 35% of the body of humans by weight, although other sources state this figure is around 40%.
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Cardiac muscle
Striated muscle tissue is characterised by transverse dark and light bands, resulting from the presence of elongated, multinucleated fibres. Striated muscle is made up of two types of muscle fibres: skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle.
The primary function of cardiac muscle is to pump blood into circulation by generating sufficient force through coordinated contractions. These contractions are triggered by electrical impulses and require ATP, which can be obtained through various substrates, including fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins, and ketones. The cardiac action potential lasts approximately 200 ms and is divided into five phases: resting, upstroke, early repolarization, plateau, and final repolarization.
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Smooth muscle
One of the key functions of smooth muscle is to control the width of passages inside the body. For example, in the digestive tract, smooth muscles flex together to transport substances along tubelike passages. Smooth muscles in sphincters, such as the bladder or anus, remain flexed and only relax when needed. Smooth muscles in the skin cause hairs to stand on end, resulting in goosebumps.
In the eyes, smooth muscles play a crucial role in vision. The ciliary muscles adjust the shape of the lens, allowing the eyes to focus on objects at different distances. The iris dilator and sphincter muscles contract to dilate or constrict the pupils, regulating the amount of light entering the eyes.
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Functions of striated muscles
Striated muscles, also known as skeletal muscles, are the most common type of muscle in the human body, accounting for 30-40% of total body mass. They are attached to the skeleton and controlled voluntarily, meaning a person can decide how and when they work. They consist of flexible muscle fibres that range from less than half an inch to just over 3 inches in diameter. These fibres usually span the length of the muscle and can contain thousands of fibres.
The primary function of striated muscles is to generate force and contract to support respiration, locomotion, and posture. They are essential for breathing, eating, and moving bones, playing a vital role in everyday activities. For example, when reaching for a book on a shelf, you are using the striated muscles in your neck, arm, and shoulder.
Striated muscles also play a crucial role in chewing and swallowing, which are the initial steps of the digestion process. They enable the expansion and contraction of the chest cavity, facilitating inhalation and exhalation.
Additionally, striated muscles help maintain posture and support the body. They are responsible for generating force and contracting to facilitate movement and support the body's position. For instance, the hamstring muscles are striated muscles that assist in standing, walking, and running.
Striated muscles are highly organised tissues that convert chemical energy into physical work. They contain T-tubules that enable the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This release of calcium ions drives the movement of myosin and actin filaments, leading to muscle contraction.
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Frequently asked questions
Striated muscles are muscles in the body that have a striped appearance due to their light and dark bands. They are made up of elongated, multinucleated fibres.
There are two types of striated muscles: skeletal muscles and cardiac muscles. Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones and are under voluntary control. Cardiac muscles are found in the walls of the heart and are involuntary.
Striated muscles are responsible for creating force and contracting. They help with balance, posture, movement, breathing, and digestion.
Striated muscles contract and relax independently. They are composed of long strands of proteins called actin and myosin that twist together to create a contraction force. This causes the muscle fibres to pull on each other and contract together to form one unit.
